Trinbago Knight Riders have turned to a familiar face, handing the head-coach role to former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for the 2025 Caribbean Premier League. He fills the spot vacated by Phil Simmons, who has taken charge of Bangladesh’s men’s side.
“It’s an honour to be given the opportunity to be Head Coach of TKR, a team that’s very close to my heart,” Bravo wrote on his personal social-media account. “I would like to personally thank coach Phil Simmons for his time and commitment over the last few years, and now I look forward to this new challenge for me and my staff.”
Bravo’s playing record with TKR is hard to miss: 107 CPL matches, 129 wickets at 8.74 runs per over, and five titles along the way. He even grabbed one of those trophies while captaining St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in 2021, a reminder that his influence has stretched beyond Trinidad.
Since winding down his playing days, Bravo has dipped a toe – and then a whole leg – into coaching. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders gave him the reins in last season’s ILT20, the Kolkata branch brought him in as mentor for IPL 2025, and Chennai Super Kings used him as bowling consultant straight after he retired from their playing XI in 2022. Afghanistan also tapped into his know-how at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals before running into South Africa’s quicks.
Knight Riders management reckon that patchwork of gigs adds up to solid preparation. One franchise source put it plainly: “He knows the room, he knows the league, and he’s still close enough to the modern game to relate to players.” It’s a fair point; Bravo only stopped bowling at the death – cricket shorthand for the last few overs – a year ago.
The 13th CPL is set for 14 August to 21 September. TKR, third last time before slipping in the Eliminator against Barbados Royals, are banking on Bravo’s fresh voice to find a touch more consistency. We’ll see soon enough whether familiarity breeds success or merely extra expectation.
